NO MEN ARE FOREIGN

NO MEN ARE FOREIGN

Summary

The poem “No Men Are Foreign” carries a strong message of universal brotherhood and peace. The poet, James Kirkup, reminds readers that despite differences in nationality, culture, or language, all human beings are essentially the same. He urges everyone to recognise this truth and to reject hatred and war.

Stanza 1

The poet begins by saying that no country or people are truly “foreign” or “strange”. When we strip away external differences like skin colour, dress, or customs, we realise that all humans share the same earth. Everyone lives and breathes under the same sky, and when we die, we all go back to the same earth. This shows that all human beings are united by nature itself.

Stanza 2

The poet points out that people in every country have the same kind of body. They are nourished by the same kind of food, and they enjoy the same sunlight, air, and water. People everywhere share the same joys and sorrows. Despite belonging to different nations, we all experience life in similar ways. Thus, dividing people by borders or national identities is meaningless.

Stanza 3

Here, the poet emphasises the shared emotions and labour of humankind. People everywhere work hard to earn their livelihood, and their lives are shaped by both struggle and love. The poet urges readers to recognise this shared humanity. When we realise that others are just like us, it becomes impossible to hate or fight them.

Stanza 4

Kirkup warns against being misled by leaders or politicians who encourage hatred and war. When we take up arms against others, we are actually harming people who are just like us—people with the same feelings, the same dreams, and the same lives. The poet reminds us that war pollutes the very earth we all share and destroys the peace that binds humanity together.

Stanza 5

In the final stanza, the poet concludes that hating others is self-destructive. When we spread hatred or wage wars, we are betraying our own humanity. The earth, which gives life to everyone, becomes defiled with death and bloodshed. The poet calls on all people to remember that we are all brothers and sisters, and that no men are foreign, and no country is strange.

Theme

The central theme of the poem is universal brotherhood and equality. It highlights that all humans are connected by the same basic needs, emotions, and the same planet. The poet condemns war and prejudice, urging everyone to live with love, understanding, and peace.

Q. Who is the poet of “No Men Are Foreign”?

Answer: The poet of “No Men Are Foreign” is James Kirkup.

Q. What is the main idea of the poem?

Answer: The poem tells us that all human beings are the same. We should not hate or fight each other because no person or country is truly foreign.

Q. What does the poet mean by “No Men Are Foreign”?

Answer: By “No Men Are Foreign”, the poet means that no one is a stranger. We all belong to one human family and live on the same earth.

Q. How are all people alike?

Answer: All people are alike, as they eat, breathe, sleep, and feel joy and sorrow the same way. Everyone depends on sunlight, air, and water.

Q. What does the poet want us to remember?

Answer: The poet wants us to remember that we are all brothers and sisters, and fighting or hating others is like hurting ourselves.

Q. What happens when we fight against others?

Answer: When we fight against others, we hurt people who are just like us. We also pollute and destroy our own world.

Q. What message does the poem give about war?

Answer: The poem says that war is useless and harmful. It only brings death, pain, and destruction.

Q. How does hatred affect us?

Answer: Hatred makes us cruel and blind. It destroys peace and love, and we lose our humanity.

Q. What lesson do you learn from the poem?

Answer: The lesson is that we should love and respect all people, no matter where they come from.

 Q. What does the poet mean by “no countries strange”?

Answer: The poet means that all countries belong to the same world, and no nation is really foreign.

Q. What are all people nourished by?
Answer: All people are nourished by the same sunlight, air, and water.

Q. What is common in all human beings?
Answer: All human beings have the same body, needs, and feelings.

Q. What defiles the earth?
Answer: War and hatred defile and spoil the earth.

Q. What should we not forget, according to the poet?
Answer: According to the poet, we should not forget that we are all brothers and part of one world.

Q. What is the poet’s attitude towards war?
Answer: The poet is strongly against war.

Q. Who tells us to hate others?
Answer: The selfish leaders and rulers tell us to hate others for their own gain.

Q. What happens when we hate or fight others?
Answer: When we hate or fight others, we actually harm ourselves because we are all human beings.

Q. What do all people do to earn their living?
Answer: Everyone works hard to earn a living.

Q. How does the poet show that all men are equal?
Answer: The poet says that all men live and die on the same earth. Everyone needs air, water, and sunlight. All people feel joy and sorrow. This shows that all men are equal.

Q. What are the things that all people share?
Answer: All people share the same sunlight, air, and water. They eat, sleep, and live under one sky. All work hard and experience love and pain alike.

Q. Why does the poet call hatred “hell”?
Answer: Hatred destroys peace and love. It brings suffering and war. That is why the poet calls hatred hell.

Q. What message does James Kirkup give to the readers?
Answer: He teaches us to live with love, peace, and understanding. We should not see others as strangers or enemies.

Q. What does the poet mean by “Remember, no men are strange”?
Answer: The poet asks us to remember that all human beings are the same and belong to one large family.

Q. Explain how the poem “No Men Are Foreign” promotes peace and brotherhood.
Answer: The poem promotes peace by showing that all people are equal. We may belong to different countries, but we share the same earth and the same needs. The poet reminds us that hating others is like hating ourselves. War destroys both sides and harms the world. The poem teaches us to treat everyone with love and kindness and to live as one human family.

Q. What are the consequences of war according to the poem?
Answer: According to the poet, war only brings death, pain, and destruction. It pollutes the earth and fills it with hatred. Innocent people suffer, and humanity loses its goodness. The poet warns that when we fight others, we are actually harming our own brothers.

Q. Why does the poet say that “no men are foreign”?
Answer: The poet says “no men are foreign” because all human beings are the same. We share the same air, food, and emotions. Our lives are connected through nature. The idea of different nations or races is man-made. The poet wants us to rise above narrow divisions and live peacefully.

Q. What does the poet want us to do instead of fighting?
Answer: The poet wants us to love, understand, and live peacefully with each other. He asks us to remember that everyone has the same feelings and dreams. Instead of fighting, we should spread friendship and care for one another.

WORD MEANING

Word / Phrase	Meaning (in simple English)
Foreign	Belonging to another country; not familiar
Strange	Different or unknown
Beneath	Under; below
Uniforms	The special clothes worn by soldiers or people of a group
Human earth	The same world where all people live and die
Lie	To rest or be buried after death

Awake	Become aware or conscious
Fed by	Nourished or helped to live by
Harvests	Crops that are grown and gathered
Recognize	To know or understand something clearly
Labour	Hard work done by people

Common life	Ordinary human life that everyone shares
Hands	Here it means human work and effort
Love	Feelings of care and affection that all people share
Starvation	Lack of food; extreme hunger
War’s long winter starv’d	The suffering and hunger caused by war

Condemn	To strongly say that something is wrong
Dispossess	To take away something that belongs to someone
Betray	To be disloyal or unfaithful
Hell of war	The pain, suffering, and destruction caused by war
Defile	To make dirty or spoil something pure (like the earth)

Injure	To hurt someone or something
Human earth	The world shared by all human beings
Remember	Keep in mind; not forget
Brotherhood	The feeling of being part of one human family

Unity	Togetherness; being one
Equality	Being the same in rights and respect
Hatred	Strong dislike or anger toward others
Peace	Calm and friendly conditions without war or conflict
Humanity	Kindness and care for all human beings